The present invention relates to composite fan blades and fans utilizing such blades, as well as associated manufacturing methods.
Fans are used in a variety of applications, such as for automotive and vocational (e.g., agricultural, industrial) applications. Such fans can be engaged with a suitable clutch that governs fan operation, allowing selective control of fan rotational speed and associated airflow output.
Prior art fans are often made of molded materials. However, one-piece fan designs present limitations with respect to scalability of a given design. For each size fan offered, new molds/dies and tooling must be developed, which is burdensome and expensive. Modular fans are also known, which utilize individual blades attached to a common hub structure. When the individual blades are made from composite materials, numerous limitations arise with respect to maintaining sufficient strength and durability for rigorous long-term use. Techniques for making composite blades, such as the use of continuous fiber reinforcement (e.g., woven fiber reinforcement preforms), are known. But many such prior art configurations require complex manufacturing methods, which are in turn less scalable than desired (e.g., continuous fiber preforms must be designed and provided for each blade size).
Therefore, it is desired to provide an alternative fan that provides substantial design flexibility while maintaining ease of manufacturability and providing adequate strength and durability.